The theme of this chapter concerns the character of local political participation. This is an important subject, raising, as it does, questions about the democratic nature of political life at the base of the whole system. Equally, it throws light on how citizens contribute to decision-making about those matters that most directly affect the quality of their daily lives. So what are the local issues that are raised by citizens? How do these personal concerns get translated into interventions by them in the public affairs of a given locality? And what types and levels of interventions are involved here – demonstrations, or pluralist-style group activities, or is it more a matter of individualistic, one-to-one contacts between ‘citizens’ and local ‘leaders’?

In assessing the cumulative impact of citizen participation, we also have to consider how those concerned view the local political domain. Which issues and actions do they see as falling within this ambit and which do not? This set of cultural assumptions, seemingly neglected in other studies, must shape in subtle but important ways the whole character of local political life. More concretely, however, we also need to examine what type of person is most active. Is it the case, as has been found on the national scale in other countries, that participation tends to advantage those already advantaged in other ways? Or is the immediacy of the local system sufficient to equalise matters?